Monday, January 28 2013

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GOOD TIME AT THE GREENS: Pan lovers came out in their numbers on the Greens yesterday to listen to the Panorama medium and large conventional bands se...

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UNLIKE the violence between North Stand patrons and the police at last year’s National Panorama semi-finals at the Greens in the Queen's Park Savannah, in Port-of-Spain, yesterday’s Panorama semis saw only good pan music and a good time by those gathered.

A heavy police presence augmented by soldiers meant that there were no untoward incidents as scores of pan lovers filled the North Stand and Greens, while only half of the Grand Stand was filled with patrons up to 4 pm yesterday.

Patrons at the North Stand were not able to enter the Greens this year and as such there was no repeat of the ugly scenes of last year when police officers confronted and in some cases, beat patrons, who tried to cross over via an open gate.

Since patrons were only able to enjoy themselves in one area, most persons opted for the Greens, where most of the excitement occurred. The Greens was filled with groups of persons wearing specific t-shirts to identify with their crew.

In an interview which was aired on a radio station’s midday news, PanTrinbago president Keith Diaz said that police, firemen and even undercover soldiers were on duty at the semis.

“Last year there was an unfortunate incident involving police and some patrons. But safety procedures mandate that we cannot allow people to go from the Greens to the North stand and this year measures are in place to prevent this. The army will be there very silently to ensure law and order,” Diaz said.

Ricardo “Wild Apachee” Dyer who listened to Panorama from the Greens, said he was very pleased with the way Panorama was organised this year. “This is the second time I came to the Savannah for pan and this year is a lot more organised,” Dyer told Newsday.

He said, although Panorama tickets for the Greens increased from $300 to $350, it was still worthwhile to attend.

Heath Romeo, another patron at the Greens, noted that the speakers were placed at the centre of the Greens, unlike last year where it was placed at the front of the Greens. “We can now hear the pan a lot better, no matter where you are on the Greens. In years before, the speakers would have been placed in the front of the Greens, and persons at the back would barely hear the music,” Romeo said.